Stuff you can do to prevent the camshaft from having too much end-to-end play
in it on your Buick 400, 430, or 455. These
concepts apply to other Buick V8 engines as well - 300, 340, 350 - though the
exact details may differ.

Basically, you drill and tap a 1/4-20 hole in the end of the cam
thrust pad on the inside of the timing cover. Ensure it goes all the way through
into the water pump area. Cut a small length of 1/4-20 brass all-thread to fit
into the hole. Round off one end of the all-thread to use as the bumper, and cut
a slot in the other end to use to adjust the bumper depth. After you install the
cam and timing gears into the engine, temporarily install the front cover
without a gasket. Adjust the can bumper to just touch the cam sprocket.
Remove the front cover, fill the hole in the water pump area with JB Weld, and
let it cure. Later, when you install the timing cover with a gasket, you will be
left with just the right amount of clearance between the cam sprocket and the
cam bumper. If needed it can be readjusted later by melting out the JB Weld with
a torch and doing the adjustment. Luckily, most cam and sprocket sets will be
about the same dimension, so even after a cam swap, odds are this will still
work right without any adjustment.

Here's the piece of brass 1/4" x 20 "all thread" I bought at my local Home
Depot to start this project. I cost just a few dollars.

Comments? Kudos? Got some parts you'd like to
buy/sell/barter/swap? Nasty comments about my web page so far? You can email
Mike or
Debbie.